


Love is Mad (but so are we)

by TheMaddestOfAll



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alice In Wonderland AU, F/M, betty as the white queen, jughead as the mad hatter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 09:04:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21317626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMaddestOfAll/pseuds/TheMaddestOfAll
Summary: In the world of whimsical magic, everybody is just a tad bit mad.A small drabble featuring White Queen Betty Cooper and Mad Hatter Jughead Jones!
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26
Collections: Tricks and Treats of Riverdale





	Love is Mad (but so are we)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my contribution for the Riverdale Events Halloween Event! Iv'e been sitting on this idea since those stunning pictures of Lili for Rodarte. It kinda got away from me for a bit, but I hope you enjoy!

Against the damp moss and bulging tree roots, the sight of flickering purple fabric is unmistakable. That and the familiar voice calling out his name for the whole forest to hear. “Hatter! I know you can hear me! I swear on my pearls if you are hiding out here I will slay you myself!”

If it were up to him, he would stay in hiding forever, locked away without any sight of what life used to be. But he knows that would be impossible. She has questions about Betty. Of course she does. The girl’s voice is full of a fire that could burn down every tree around him times ten.

“Hello Veronica,” stepping out from a patch of waist high tiger lilies, Jughead can see a brief look of surprise flash across the girl’s face. “What brings you all the way out of Witzend? Has Archibald run out of Pishsalver again?”

“Forsthe Pendleton Jones, have you been avoiding me?” Veronica places a manicured hand on her hip and shoots an accusing look towards the boy in front of her.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about-

“For Crims sake Jughead, don’t lie to me! I need somebody to finally tell me why everything has been weird around here!”

Her tone leaves no room for argument, so after a few beats he gives up and sighs, “What’s going on Ronnie?”

“The people of Underland are going completely bonkers Jug. Nobody has seen the White Queen in weeks and rumors are spreading of Cheryl taking over.”

The words felt like a punch to the gut. A stab right into the area that he had been dancing around for weeks.”Well, the people obviously don’t know their Queen if they think she would allow the bloody big head to rule all by herself.”

“That’s so not the point!” Jughead can see the anger flash across her eyes as her heeled foot begins tapping on an uprooted log, “Almost two weeks ago Betty told Archie not to come into the castle until she told him otherwise. She hasn’t come out since then. We’re not even allowed through the gates!”

“And what about it? What am I supposed to be doing about it?” Turning back towards his cottage, Jughead tries to ignore the irritated sounds that come from Veronica’s direction.

“Because for all we know, you’re the last one to see Betty before she locked herself in the castle! What the hell happened between you two?”

“Nothing happened! Why do you assume that I did something wrong? Why is it automatically my fault?”

“I never said it was your fault! I don’t even know what happened! But the fact that you’re acting like this tells me that _something _happened!” Her footsteps aren’t far behind his and something tells him that she won’t be leaving anytime soon. “Seriously, whatever you two talked about, just tell me! It’s not like it’s the end of the world-”

“I told her I loved her!”

She stops dead in her tracks, mouth open slightly, brows knitted together, “...what?”

With another sigh, Jughead turns back to face the raven haired girl. “I told Betty that I loved her, and she kicked me out of the castle. She fucking hates me.”

A few moments pass that are filled solely with Jughead’s breathing and Veronica’s confused thinking.

“Did you ever think that for a moment that she might feel the same about you?” Like flipping a switch, her angry stance is replaced with soft eyes and a kinder voice.

“I’m pretty sure if she felt the same she wouldn’t have yelled at me and then locked herself away.”

“Look, I know Betty better than anyone in Underland. I also know the connection that you two have, and I think you’re an idiot to think for even a minute that she could ever hate you.” She reaches a manicured finger out and brushes a stray piece of hair from his face. “I swear you two are blind sometimes.”

Jughead toys with the pointed edges of his hat before taking a deep breath, “What should I do? She’s made it pretty apparent that she needs time to think it out.”

“You know how Betty is, we can’t let her get trapped in her own mind. My advice? Go talk to her. Show her that you weren’t playing around and that you’re here to stay.”

“When did you get so wise, Ronnie?”

With a wink and one last smile, she flips her midnight hair over her shoulder before turning and swishing back the way they came. “Fairfarren Jughead! Go get our Elizabeth!”

Once she’s out of sight, Jughead glances around the garden for the telltale sight of shaggy fur, “Hot Dog! Get up bud.” The white sheepdog gets up from his spot near the edge of the flowers and trots over and stand beneath Jughead’s hand. “Lets go get our girl.”

From her perch on the balcony, she can see over almost all of Underland. Her kingdom. Her people. She had never really wanted to be Queen, she didn’t see any good in Kings Queens and unavoidable tyranny. Or, that’s how things used to be. Alice and Penelope were the absolute worst people, and Underland was lucky to survive their joint rule. Now, things were different. With Cheryl acting as her right hand, along with her White Knight, her mundane bestie, and the Hatter, well...things were great. The citizens of Underland had never been better. Then Jughead Jones threw a wrench in the plan. Her eyes fall closed as she takes a deep breath of the misty air. “What in the world did I get myself into?”

Directly below her lies the courtyard. Winding pathways of stone walled in by waist high flowers and different shaped hedges. A fountain in the shape of a queen chess piece stands directly in the middle, looking over the marble arch architecture. The exact spot where a mere two weeks ago, Jughead had looked at her with twinkly eyes and poured his heart out. And she pushed him away.

_His hands were on either side of her face and she could feel his breath dancing across her nose. He looked like whatever he had to tell her was the most important thing in the world. She smiled at him then, silently analyzing every spot and divet in his face._

_ “I love you, Betty Cooper.” _

_ That, she had not expected. Not in the slightest. _

_ His next words died on her ears as her heart pounding took over. Memories flashed through her mind, along with her mother’s voice, of all things. Everything was too loud for her to concentrate.  _

_ “Get out,” the words were barely a whisper, but he heard them. He looked taken aback for a moment, but then she was pushing him away. “Get out!” _

_ She swore she saw him cry. A few silent tears rolling down his cheek, but the next second he was gone, storming out of Marmoreal’s gates. _

Her mother used to tell her that love was futile. That a Queen’s purpose in life was to be feared and respected by everyone around her. That being a ruler was the only thing that mattered. Betty had met Jughead when they were just 8 years old. Other kids in Underland made fun of his hat, but she always thought it was cute. When they were teenagers, Alice’s rein made people hate and blame Betty for what their world had become. He was always there for her. And she kicked him out.

Betty sighs out her breath and takes a look at the swirling sky. Shades of midnight blue are starting to take over the golden rays of the sun. She knows she needs to stop feeling so sorry for herself, but her mind hasn’t stopped racing since that night, filled with thoughts of the past and what the future could be. Past the gates of Marmoreal lies the forest towards Witzend, and just within those borders sits the Hatter’s Cottage. She could be there in under 5 minutes, but her feet seem to be glued to their spot.

There’s a simple answer to her predicament.  _ Tell him you feel the same, tell him the truth for once.  _ And yet…

Before she can process that thought, her eyes catch something shifting through the thick trees. As if by pure magic, by the edge of the forest a tall figure of a man followed by a small bouncing dog comes into view. Betty sneaks a glance to the far corner of the estate, to a rather large cabin where Veronica is no doubt smirking to herself in enjoyment. Her heart swells as Jughead’s figure gets clearer and clearer.

“Juggie!” She yells into the air, his head jerking up in surprise. She doesn’t give him much time to react before she’s running back inside and down to the first floor. Bursting through the doors, she sees him standing there, ever present hat and goofy grin.

This time, her head isn't full of the sound of her mother’s voice. This time, she’s the one crying. This time, she doesn’t push him away, she runs right into his arms.


End file.
